What's this deal with Neuralink, Musk and Monkeys?
Unfortunately I have been living under a rock recently.
Can someone please ELI5 it for me ?
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Unfortunately I have been living under a rock recently.
Can someone please ELI5 it for me ?
Technology works, has for many years.
Even I've gotten the OCZ NIA to work and control my character's movement in a video game
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neural\_Impulse\_Actuator
The issue is a medical one.
Where I could spend a few hours(training) to get the NIA to work, it all goes out the window the moment you move it or take it off.
So the solution is to permanently implant the electrodes into the brain. (Even on the scalp will move over time, so that's not an option)
But the issue with implants is infection and scar tissue formation.
They haven't been able to solve the infection and scar tissue problem all these years, and Musk isnt' doing any better with it. Even with nano wires.
Even Valve has been working on Brain-Computer interface for years.
IMO, they should give up on the permanent fixation, and look for some kind of reference point, and do a antenna re-alignment that can be calibrated every time you put it on.
I think that's an important point here: there are legitimate medical uses and this technology can really help people with paralysis and other neurological issues.
The problem comes down to the company. Neuralink isn't doing something super groundbreaking, and there are many other companies working on this. Companies with different methodology, ethical standards and practices.
Unlike some other tech, medical research isn't something you rush through to get the results you want. It can be a really cool science, but going for the 'cool' delivery mechanism or procedure isn't helpful.
If they can't handle doing it correctly, they won't get it done. Someone else will
The important thing to remember here is that there is always a risk-reward trade-off. No matter what you do, you're always making a choice, and doing nothing is also bad for you.
It's one thing to open up the skull to give a locked in individual a much greater quality of life.
It's a completely different thing to treat toenail fungus with a drug that has a sufficiently high probability of killing your liver (and killing you or requiring a transplant).